Photo courtesy: Fulton St. Farmers’ Market, 4-20-2019.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Fulton Street Farmers Market kicks off its 2019 ‘Main Market Season’ in two weeks, and it’ll kick off a new “Summer Nights” live-music series in July. The Farmers Market is teaming up with 20 Monroe Live, which will book the live musical acts beginning the second week of July and running through August.
The Summer Nights series also will feature craft beer, kids’ activities, and food and crafts provided by local vendors.
20 Monroe Live marketing manager Amber Stokosa says, “We love the idea of combining live music with the Fulton Street Farmers Market. This also gives
us an opportunity to work more closely with local musicians and just be involved with the community in a really fun and exciting way.”
20 Monroe Live will be booking the musical acts for each of the eight evenings in the Summer Series.
The nonprofit Fulton Street Farmers Market has 118 outdoor booths and nine indoor booths. It was founded in 1922, and its executive director, Rori Weston, says the goal this season is to “reintroduce the market to our community. We’re imagining new ways to use our space and give growers and artisans additional opportunities to reach customers.”
Fulton Street accepts SNAP, WIC, and Senior Market FRESH coupons and participates in Double Up Food Bucks, which Farmers Market board member Andrew Steiner says is “a great way for Bridge Card users to stretch their budgets and access healthy food.”
Each evening in the series will feature an educational kids’ activity provided by a different nonprofit organization, with themes such as food production, environmental stewardship and creativity.
Steiner tells FOX 17, “If shoppers are really eager to see what the market has to offer, they don’t have to wait until the 4th. The market is open year-round on Saturdays, including this coming Saturday. The selection of local produce and the number of vendors continues to grow week after week, so there will be plenty to choose from even before Main Market Season begins.”
The Farmers Market says in a news release there is a revamped schedule this year, (see below) with new hours, new days and the weekly evening market featuring live music. The changes were prompted by the needs and habits of customers and vendors.
Fulton Street will now be divided into two six-month seasons: the Main Market Season (8 a.m.-2 p.m.) from May through October, and the Second Season Market, which will run from November through April. The Main Market Season will no longer include a morning market on Tuesdays.
Revamped Fulton Street Farmers Market Schedule:
Main Market Season
Months: May-October
Days*: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
Hours: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
*Summer Nights at the Market: Tuesdays, July 9-August 27, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Second Season Market
Months: November-April
Days: Saturdays
Hours: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Summer Nights Children’s Activity Partners:
• Artists Creating Together
• Creative Youth Center
• Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
• Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
• Kids’ Food Basket
• Plainsong Farm
• Sierra Club Michigan Chapter
• Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA)
